B65D71/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans, pop bottles; Bales of material

1 Claim. (Cl. 20665) The present invention relates generally to devices for carrying a plurality of containers and the like in a juxtaposed relation as a unitary package and has particular reference to a flexible cord carrying device which supports and ties the containers together and provides a handle for carrying them.

An object of the instant invention is the provision of a carrying device for a plurality of containers arranged in juxtaposed relation wherein the device is made from a single piece, is relatively cheap to produce and is readily attached to the containers.

Another object is the provision of such a carrying device which through its novel construction and application is self-tightening on the containers when the weight of the latter is brought to bear on the device during a carrying operation.

Still another object is the provision of such an economical carrying device which is relatively unaffected by moisture, water or ice which may be on or around the container constituting the package.

Yet another object is the provision of such a carrying device which through its flexible nature is well adapted to stacking of the unitary packages on top of each other for display and storage purposes.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment there-of.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a pair of juxtaposed containers having applied thereto a flexible carrying device embodying the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the device illustrated in Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged fragmentary, perspective detail views showing how portions of the device are formed.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate a carrying device A (Figs. 1 and 2) for carrying a pair of fibre milk containers B disposed in juxtaposed relation as a unitary package. The containers B preferably are of the character disclosed in United States Patent 2,085,979, issued July 6, 1937, to John M. Hothersall on Container.

Such containers comprise rectangular bodies D having flat side walls E which at their upper ends are formed with necked-in portions F and outwardly or laterally projecting peripheral end seams or ledges G surrounding and securing flat top closure members H in place on the body. In the juxtaposed relation of the containers B, two side walls E are directly opposite each other in substantially contiguous relation as shown in Fig. 1. The portions of the ledges G for these side walls extend transversely of the package and are substantially coincident. The immediately connecting portions of the ledges G, disposed at right angles to the ends of the transverse portions of the ledges, extend along the two long outer edges of the package in continuing or endwise alignment portions.

The carrying device A preferably is made from a single, continuous piece or strand of flexible wire-like material such as heavy cord or twine 11 (Fig. 2) having its ter minal ends secured together in any suitable manner, such as by a tied knot, splicing, metal or other clip-or other device. Intermediate its tied-together ends, the twine 11 is arranged to enclose or define an open endless frame preferably comprising two juxtaposed rectangular loops 1 2, 13 (Fig. 2) having a common transverse dividing element or cross member 14 and a flexible handle 15 jointed by a pair of square slip knots 16, 17.

Loop 12 is defined by a pair of opposed side members 21, 22 (Fig. 2), the common divider 14 and an end member 23 which is disposed opposite the divider 14. In a similar manner loop 13 is defined by a pair of opposed side members24, 25, the common divider 14 and an end member 26 which is disposed opposite the divider 14. The tied-together ends of the single continuous twine preferably are incorporated in the handle 15.

In constructing the handle device A, the single continuous piece of twine 11 is laid out and knotted so that beginning with one end of the twine incorporated in the handle 15 as shown in Fig. 3, the twine first extends into and through the knot 16 as shown in Fig. 3, leaving the knot 16 as the side member 21 of loop 12, then bending into the end member 23 (Fig. 2) and side member 22, extending straight through the knot 17 as shown in Fig. 4, and continuing as the side member 24 of loop 13, then bending into the end member 26, and side member 25 returning to and through the knot 16 (see Fig. 3) to continue as the divider member 14, thence across to and through the knot 17 as shown in Fig. 4 and terminating in part of the handle 15. The juncture of the side membens 25, 14 is thus freely slideable in the slip knot 16 as will be observed from an inspection of Fig. 3 and Y similarly the continuing side members 22, 24 are freely slidable in the slip knot 17 as viewed in Fig. 4, to permit the device to be self-tightening when applied tothe juxtaposed containers B.

When the carrying device A is applied to the containers B, the loops 12, 13 of the device are slipped over the tops of the containers under the seam projections G and pulled tight by the handle 15 so that the side and end members of the device are located in the necked-in portions F of the containers and engage under the laterally projecting ledges G as shown in Fig. 1. The divider member 14 of the device fits into the transverse space provided by the necked-in portions F of the substantially contiguous container side walls E and extends under the substantially coincident transverse ledges G, with the slip knots 16, 17 of the device engaging under the outer ends of these coincident ledges, i. e. at the contiguous corners of the containers as shown in Fig. 1. The handle 15 extends in a transverse are over the top of the containers as shown in Fig. 1.

Hence when the juxtaposed containers B are picked up by the handle 15, the side, end and divider members andthe knots 16, 17 uniting them into a unitary structure, serve to draw and tie the juxtaposed containers together tightly and support them as a unitary package. The knots 16, 17 being disposed under the longitudinal ledges at the adjacent inner corners of the containers, support the major portion of the weight of the containers. When it is desired to stack the packages one on top of the other, the flexible twine handle 15 of the carrying device may be readily laid down flat on the tops of the containers and in no way interferes with this stacking operation. It is to be understood that instead of using cord or twine a flexible wire, rubber or other suitable flexible string could be used.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

A carrying package, comprising a pair of juxtaposed rectangular containers each having laterally projecting peripheral ledges at their top ends, and a single endless cord-like strand of flexible material encircling said containers beneath said ledges for drawing the containers together in side by side relation by a lifting pull for transporting the containers as a unit, said endless strand of flexible material constituting a substantially rectangular open frame for enclosing and completely surrounding said containers beneath said ledges on the four sides thereof, said frame including a pair of adjacent open loops disposed in the same plane and having opposite side and end members and a common medial cross member connected to the junctures of said side members by slip knots, and a flexible handle constituting an integral continuation of said strand from said frame and extending transversely thereof at its medial portion between said loops to set off the latter, one end of said handle strand extending through one of said slip knots and thence as said frame extending around the opposed sides and end of one of said containers to constitute one of said loops and thence through the other of said slip knots and around the sides and end of the remaining container to constitute the other of said loops, said frame strand thence extending through said one slip knot and transversely across said frame to constitute said transverse frame member and thence through said other slip knot and reversely across said frame and secured to the opposite end of said handle strand, whereby a lifting pull on said handle pulls said frame loops through said slip knots tightly around said containers to draw the latter together as a unitary carrying package.